Methods and kits for maxillary dental anesthesia by means of a nasal deliverable anesthetic

Abstract

Methods and systems for anesthetizing a portion or all of a patient's maxillary dental arch using a nasal delivered anesthetizing composition. The process generates anesthesia sufficient for facilitation of operative dentistry, endodontics, periodontics or oral surgery for teeth of the maxillary arch. The dental nasal spray process consists of inserting one or more dispensing devices through the patient's nostril and delivering metered dosages of anesthetic solution or gel into the nasal cavity. The process may utilize a single solution which is a mixture of anesthetic agents, vasoconstricting agents and other physiological inert agents or two separate solutions, wherein one solution contains the vasoconstricting agents and the other solution contains the anesthetic agents. Anesthetic diffusion through the thin walls of the nasal cavity allows for the blocking of nerve impulses originating from the maxillary dentition and surrounding tissues. Anesthesia of specific oral regions such as right versus left sides of the dental arch, anterior versus posterior teeth, and soft tissue anesthesia may be controlled through modification of the dosage volume and the selection of right or left nostril insertion and agent delivery.

Description

1. The Field of the InventionThe invention disclosed herein is in the field of anesthesia, more particularly the field of dental anesthesia. More particularly, the invention is in the field of nasal deliverable anesthesias that are sprayed or otherwise placed in the nasal cavity in order to numb the nerves associated with pain sensations generated by teeth and surrounding tissue within the maxillary dental arch.2. The Relevant TechnologyMost people fear going to the dentist. They equate visiting the dentist with pain. The most excruciating pain is typically caused by the drilling of cavities, root canal procedures, the pulling of teeth, crown and bridge work, and other procedures which disrupt, damage or otherwise put pressure on the pulp of a tooth and / or the surrounding maxillary bone and gingiva.Various techniques have been employed to reduce the pain associated with the aforementioned dental procedures. The most common procedure to relieve or reduce dental pain is the applicatio...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention relates to methods and systems for anesthetizing a patient's teeth and surrounding palatal tissues within the maxillary dental arch by means of a nasal deliverable anaesthetic. Such methods and systems eliminate altogether the need for painful needle injected local anesthetics when preparing a patient for dental work on the maxillary, or upper, dental arch. By this means, patients will have less fear and anxiety when visiting a dentist and will experience greatly decreased pain associated with the application of the local anesthetic preparatory to carrying out the actual dental procedure. Moreover, because the nasal delivered anesthesia is total, complete and more easily administered compared to needle injected anesthetics, there is less danger of the anesthetic not taking effect or prematurely losing its anesthetizing effect compared to needle delivered anesthetics. The delivery of the anesthetics through topical absorption in the nasal cavity also eliminates the potential for accidental intervascular administration of anesthetics, as can occur during the administration of local, needle-delivered nerve blocks.

The anesthetizing properties of the nasal deliverable anesthetizing compositions of the present invention are generally limited to the maxillary dentition and surrounding tissue, including the hard and soft palates. The facial gingiva generally retain most or all of their normal sensation even after application of the nasal deliverable anesthetizing compositions according to the present invention. This may be desirable in the case where only the teeth are being worked on, thereby minimizing patient discomfort and numbness where it is not needed. On the other hand, in the case of more intrusive periodontal procedures in which the gingiva will be subject to cutting, or other trauma, it may be advantageous to apply a topical anesthetic to the gingiva.

Problems solved by technology

In many cases, application of the local anaesthetic by needle injection is itself very painful.

The fear of needles is so great in some individuals that the injection can be more traumatic than the dental procedure itself.

Another source of fear is the possibility of failure of the anesthesia, which may result from incorrect placement of the anaesthetic.

The duration of operative anesthesia may be unexpectedly short due to incorrect placement, the failure providing the correct dosage, or premature destruction of the anesthesia due to inflammation and associated low tissue pH.

The fear and anxiety associated with painful injections may actually deter some people from seeking dental work, even badly needed dental work required to relieve immediate pain and to correct serious acute or chronic conditions.

Improper placement of the needle can result in tearing or ripping of local tissue and nerves, as can delivering too large a volume of anesthetic to an area.

Blood vessels can be lacerated when making regional blocks which may result in hematoma formation.

The problem with topical anesthesia is at least two-fold: (1) patients still fear the needle and (2) the needle is still very painful once injected beyond the numbed gingival surface.

In reality, topical anesthetics are only truly effective in relieving pain associated with superficial procedures such as suturing a laceration.

Topical anesthetics do not effectively alleviate dental pain involving a tooth or the surrounding bone.

The problem with the Spinello device is that it still involves an injection by a painful needle and, in view of the varying set flow rates intended to reduce pain, the length of time of the injection process is actually longer than manually performed injections.

There is also the additional high cost of the device, both for the dentist and the patient.

However, this method has failed to save patients from having to endure painful injections when more intrusive and, hence, more painful, dental procedures are involved.

Moreover, the TENS method has been associated with unpredictable results and has been generally ignored by the dental market.

It is far more costly than simply providing topical anesthetics prior to dental injections.

One of the problems with anesthetizing teeth is the problem of accessing the nerves responsible for dental pain sensations.

Because of the location of dental nerves, finding and numbing the nerves responsible for the pain sensation is not a very simple task.

Images